Debtitude
by wingsrookie
Summary: Hermione has bitten off more than she can chew!She's trying to triple major, and survive!When her boyfriend dumps her, her fridge is empty,and everything in her life has gone down the tubes, Hermione knows it's time to get some help. But who can she ask?
1. Battalions!

SS/HG – A life debt is a serious thing

Disclaimer: see my main page

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_**A single shaft of light**_

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"When sorrows come, they come not as single spies,

But in battalions!" - Shakespeared, Hamlet, IV, v_**"**_

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CH. 1 – Battalions

Soft sobs gently enfolded a small, shaking lump of blankets. The blankets seemed to radiate a sense of misery into the air around them. Soft sunlight gently filled the room, and it seemed to be trying to comforting the lump of blankets. All efforts on the sunlight's part, however, were in vain. For inside the lump, was another lump which was more commonly known as Hermione Granger. Inside this second lump, a huge muscle had been pulled. It was a muscle Hermione Granger had often used, so it was quite limber and used to being abused. In this case, however, it was a new exercise for Hermione Granger, and she had never before done it. So, it was almost inevitable (in her mind), that she'd pulled this muscle.

Curled up like an armadillo trying to protect itself, Hermione tried to keep the pieces of her beating heart in one spot, so that it continued beating and she didn't die. It didn't seem to be working, though, if the pain was any indication. Briefly she wondered if one could actually die from heartache. Was it, perhaps, a heart-attack's lesser known but equally deadly sibling?

"Why?! What did I do wrong?!" Hermione wailed at the ceiling of her little flat, having uncurled, turned onto her back, and moved the blankets enough to shake her fist at the ceiling. The ceiling, not caring much for the life of the human beneath it, did not answer.

"Perhaps it's that hair, dear. Or maybe it's your figure...you certainly haven't been sparing the biscuits...." Offered her mirror helpfully, from it's spot next to one of her bookcases. Hermione promised herself that as soon as she could move without dieing, she would trash the stupid thing. The mirror, ignoring her, continued to offer suggestions.

"Or it could be those dreadful clothes! I mean, they're not even professional! You could even wear robes! But honestly, somewhat baggy and unflattering jeans, baggy t-shirts, semi-white socks, and clunky brown shoes! Do people stare when you walk down the street? It would be hard not to. You look like a charity case waiting to happen." The mirror informed Hermione, who'd slumped back over onto her side. As the annoying mirror continued to ramble on, the phone rang. Cursing whoever it was to the deepest pits of limbo and back, Hermione managed to drag herself to her feet and mope over to the phone. Picking it up slowly, Hermione brought it to her ear, only to hear a dial tone. Growling, she dropped the phone back onto it's cradle.

She'd almost made it back to her spot on the floor when the phone rang again. Only this time, it was her cell phone. Deciding that the deepest pits of Limbo were to good for whoever was bothering her now, she decided that they should be cursed with becoming Voldemort's personal pedicure slave. Envisioning the hapless caller trying to pedicure Voldemort's feet without being Avada'd or Crucio'd, she stumbled her way over to the coat rack and fished the phone out of her jacket. Flipping it open, she pressed the talk button.

"You've reached Hermione Granger. I'm not in reach of my phone right now. If you're confidant that I care that you called, leave your name and number and I'll think about getting back to you. Don't be surprised if you don't merit a callback." Hermione said into the phone, in a bored sort of tone. For a few minutes there was silence.

"Erm...hello?....very funny Hermione, I know you're there!...Pick up the phone, Hermione!....Look, we need to talk. I know you're probably pretty mad right now, but there's a good explanation, I swear!..." A loud voice from the other side of the line shouted. Hermione held the phone out at arms length and winced. The look on her face said the caller was clearly an idiot.

"Beep!" Hermione said, immitating an answering machine, before hitting the off button.

Being Voldemort's personal manicurist was too good for that berk. Of course, she knew who it was. Who else ever called her to apologize? Most of Hermione's friends came in _person_ to discuss their problems with her, not that she usually had any with her other friends. Only her long-time boyfriend seemed to provoke the worst side of Hermione. Just today the revelation came that Hermione also brought out the worst in her new ex, Todd Semalin. Tears trailed down her cheeks as she thought about her life.

She'd gone to her classes at the college. Classes had been a bit of a challenge, since it was a college that was partially Wizarding and partially Muggle. Everything had to be explained in different ways, according to the knowledge of magic (or belief in it) the professor of the class had, and the subject matter. Not only that, but Hermione had been taking nineteen credits and working a part-time job as well. Basically, she'd run herself ragged. It was even worse than her third year, though. Little things like eating and being hygienic had fallen to the wayside in her attempt to keep up with her classes and still work enough hours to be able to keep her apartment, pay tuition, _and_ for supplies for class. In fact she was so broke, that she was glad for once that Crookshanks had passed on shortly after the war with Voldemort. Not that she didn't miss the half-kneazle, but Hermione could never have afforded food or flea-collars, or treats, or shampoo for her beloved familiar.

Todd had been the one bright spot in her life. Late at night, once she'd gotten off work, he was always there to rub her back, or sit and talk. It was true they hadn't gone on a real date for quite some time, but they'd always managed to find a few seconds to text or meet briefly during the day. There wasn't a day or night that had gone by where Hermione and Todd could say they hadn't seen each other. It came as a very rude shock to Hermione when she found out that she wasn't as important to Todd as he was to her. That day the Professor of her speech class let his class out early, as one of the speakers for the day had been absent. For the first time in months, not a single pressing piece of homework was on her schedule. Work started at 5, and the Professor let them out at three o'clock.

Hermione knew Todd's schedule better than her own, so she knew he'd be at home right now. He was probably studying for his Chemistry class, since he was failing it. Or he could be watching t.v. Either way, Hermione wanted to see him. Maybe they could catch a movie, or go to the park. Some serious snogging sounded like a good idea too, though. Maybe they could do all three.

"After all, I have two hours, and if we snog while doing on of the other things...." Hermione had thought. Now she felt like shaking the past her for such stupidity. That git didn't deserve snogging. What he deserved was to be castrated. Unsuspecting, Hermione had let herself in with her copy of the key to the flat, and searched for him. He wasn't in the kitchen, the bathroom, or den. He wasn't in his bedroom, either. When she walked into the laundry room, she was not expecting him to actually be there. To her surprise, and horror, he had been. He'd been sitting on top of the dryer, with a busty brunette on his lap. Hurt, and more than furious, Hermione did the first thing she thought of. She dropped her wand into her hand from it's hidden holster in her sleeve, and hexed the git.

A small, satisfied smirk curled on her lips when she thought of the hex. Todd's friend may have been a muggle, but he and the brunette had been too occupied with other matters to pay the least bit of attention to what Hermione had been doing. It would be quite a long time before Todd ever found himself able to feel like snogging. If he ever felt like it again. The smirk vanished, though, when she thought about his call. He wasn't the only wizard who'd ever called her on her phone, although he was the only one to do so recently. He _was_ the only one who still thought he had to be shouted to be heard over such "long distances". He was also the only one she knew who still didn't understand that only the message machines on _house _phones played out loud while recording their message.

How _dare_ he try to explain away what she'd seen. Of course she'd confronted him after stashing her wand up her sleeve once more. The idiot had the gall to say it wasn't what it looked like. Picking up her cellphone once more, Hermione contemplated calling one of her girl friends to cry with. Once more, Hermione began to sob as she realized there was no one she _could_ call. Not even guy friends, and she was almost desperate enough at this point to call one of her guy friends.

All of her friends from her first couple years of college had already graduated. Not because Hermione had been taking forever to complete all her requirements, but simply because her requirements list was so much longer. Hermione had chosen to major in more than one area. In the Wizarding world she had chosen to major in wandless magic, elemental magic, and self-transfiguration. In the muggle world, her major was communication. So her requirements took much longer than those of her friends, and she had been over working herself in order to meet those requirements and graduate some time before she was forty. In the Wizarding world it was quite normal for a witch or wizard to spend ten to twenty years for a single- or double-mastery when they were apprenticed. The college Hermione attended now was a new idea, and majoring in three Wizarding specialties, along with a muggle one, was unheard of. Hermione was determined that she would succeed, and in a good time frame. Granted she would live longer than most muggles, but she still wanted to be done with school.

College had driven the bookworm almost right out of her. Now, when she thought about reading for pleasure, it was a book of fiction that she might pick up at the muggle bookstore, or nothing at all. Not only that, but it seemed to have made her a loner, as well. Most of her friends from her freshman year had graduated, and she didn't have time to spend with friends because of her work load in both school and at her job. The only person she'd spent time with recently was Todd. Now he was gone, too. For Hermione steadfastly refused to ever see that jerk ever again. She wouldn't even talk to him, unless he managed to get up the guts to come and force a confrontation face-to-face. Knowing Todd, though, he wouldn't. If the brunette she'd seen him with was any indication, he'd already lost interest in her anyways.

_"Why'd he even bother to keep up pretenses?"_ Hermione wondered, in an irritated way. All her friends from Hogwarts had their own lives now. Harry worked as an auror all day, and then picked up his two boys from daycare. After that, he played with them and helped them finish their homework before his wife got home. They all ate dinner together, and then had an hour or two of family time before it was time to put the children to bed. Then it was Harry and Ginny time.

Ginny worked in the Malfoy offices, working business deals for her boss on an international level. That ran from six in the morning to six in the evening. After two hours of time with Harry, Ginny went back to work until midnight. Although Hermione had visited with Harry and Ginny Potter a few times in her Freshman year, when the classes had all been really easy, she always felt bad for taking up precious family time.

Ron owled Hermione once every few months, but he was kept very busy traveling with, or playing and practicing for the Chuddly Cannons. He and his long-time girlfriend Luna Lovegood spent every single moment of his time in England together. When he was in a neighboring country, Luna often apparated or port-keyed to see him. Right now Hermione thought he might be in Moscow. She'd sent him gloves that were charmed to stay super-warm, but which were so thin they might as well have been part of your skin. It was an invention she'd made during her Christmas break, to keep herself in the habit of studying and doing research.

Suddenly her stomach rumbled, and Hermione wrapped one arm around it as though to ward off the hunger. Moping over to her refrigerator, Hermione opened it without much faith. Not very surprised, Hermione stared at the refrigerator in hopes that something would appear magically. Apparently the replenishing spell on the fridge had run its course, though, because nothing did.

"Great...and I don't have any money for groceries..." Hermione thought bitterly. It wasn't that she couldn't perform the replenishing spell, but that there had to be food actually _in _the fridge when the spell was cast, or it wouldn't have anything to replenish. Not only that, but Hermione also didn't have enough energy to perform magic. Right now Hermione was using all her energy just to perform and practice the spells she needed for class.

Normally Hermione Granger never had to worry about being able to do magic, because she'd always been exceptionally talented. Her body, however, had been under great stress lately. Since Hermione averaged one to three hours of sleep a night, and ate barely anything. When she did have money to put food in her fridge in order to renew the replenishing spell, it was usually only a few items. Once she'd been stuck eating tomatoes, tuna fish, 1% milk, and pickles for two months. She still avoided pickles and tomatoes.

Because of a combination of mental stress and physical stress, Hermione's magic had to be used carefully. The energy needed to use magic came directly from one's body and fat stores. So, since Hermione wasn't eating or sleeping properly, she didn't have any extra energy to spare. This made performing magic very difficult, and sometimes downright impossible.

Sighing, Hermione decided something had to give. Not only had she lost Todd, but she didn't have money for food, she was barely making rent (and it was always late), and she couldn't use magic. Hermione tried not to look at her house as she grabbed some parchment, a quill, and an ink bottle off of her messy desk. Her personal hygiene wasn't the only thing that had suffered from her busy schedule. The cleanliness of her flat could also be added to the long, and growing, list of "trivial things" that had fallen by the wayside in Hermione's attempt to survive.

Biting her lip in concentration, Hermione settled down to write a long letter. She couldn't beg for food, but that didn't mean she couldn't take advantage of an old, outstanding debt. This letter might be able to help her solve all her problems. And if not this one, than maybe the one after it.

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_Professor Severus Snape,_

_Sorry about the title, but I didn't know how you currently prefer to be addressed. I have a favor to ask of you, and was wondering if you'd see me to talk about it? I'd like to arrange a meeting with you. Please let me know when is convenient for you._

_Sincerely:_

_Hermione J. Granger_

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_Dear Harry, _

_I hope my owl hasn't come at a bad time, _but...

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"Oh, dash it!" Hermione proclaimed, crumpling her letter to Harry in her fist. Asking Severus to pay back his life debt to her, for saving him from Nagini's bite, was hard enough. Asking Harry for help, even though he was her friend, was too much. Hermione was the one who was supposed to have all the answers and have everything figured out, not the other way around. Besides, she already had to pay for one owl...and she would probably have to scrimp on her parchment and ink to pay for it. Considering parchment, paper, and ink were the the only things she spent her money on besides rent, it was quite a sacrifice.

Quickly Hermione tied her note to Severus closed with a piece of string she'd saved from an experiment in her science class last Monday, Hermione wished she had some real wax to seal it with like normal. It was pretty sad that she didn't even have wax to seal her letters. Having finished that, Hermione redid her pony tail and slipped out of the house with her keys, a jacket, and her last couple euros in her pocket.

Once again Hermione marveled at how lovely it was to be so close to campus. All she had to do was walk around the corner, and she was at the owl office. She waited impatiently for her turn at the counter, almost bouncing up and down on her toes while she waited in line.

"May I help you?" The teenage boy behind the counter asked in a bored, nasally voice which instantly made Hermione want to cringe. He thought he had problems!

"Yes, please. I'd like to send a letter to Severus Black, at Spinners End." Hermione replied, trying her best to be polite.

"Certainly. That will be ten Euros, or ten sickles." The boy informed her. Hermione's heart sank. She didn't have ten Euros! _Or_ ten sickles. How was she supposed to get her letter to Severus?

"Thank you." Hermione replied, fishing in her pockets as though she thought she had it. Pretending to look startled, Hermione gave the boy an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry...I seem to have misplaced my sickles..." She grumbled, digging deeper into her pockets. The boy rolled his eyes impatiently, obviously having seen such a predicament many times before. When the customers behind her showed signs of anger, Hermione shook her head in a sad sort of way and smiled apologetically at them, too.

"Sorry, I seem to have left my money in my other pants. Guess I'll have to come back later." She sighed in a sort of put-out way, as though she couldn't believe her own foolishness. Withdrawing herself from the counter, Hermione left the small office. Once she was outside she let the apologetic, sad look drop from her face. A sort of hopelessness replaced it. Checking her watch, she saw that it was quarter to five. She'd cried for a long time, then. Opening her cellphone, she was glad she'd charmed it to work without a plan, when she'd been a freshman. Otherwise she wouldn't have it. Just one more thing she'd have to do without. She started to dial Todd's number, to ask if she could borrow his owl, and stopped.

The reminder that she couldn't borrow Todd's owl because she'd just dumped him, was not pleasant. Not only because she was still hurting, but also because she still didn't have a way to owl Severus.

Not a single idea came to Hermione as she tried to think of a solution to her dilemma. Normally she wouldn't have asked Severus for help, as she'd always thought him irresponsible. But there really wasn't anyone else she could, or would, ask. Finally, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood, she decided she'd have to call in sick to work. Hermione Jane Granger had never taken a sick day before, she couldn't if she wanted to continue paying rent, taking classes, and buying supplies for her classes. This was bigger than that, though.

If food and rest were not available, Hermione felt she would die or explode. Worse, she actually felt like giving up! Hermione Jane Granger did _not_ give up! Except lately it'd seemed like everything was piling up around her, and it kept growing higher and higher until she could drown in the essays, classes, fees, bills, and work. Flipping the phone back open resolutely, Hermione dialed her boss's number. After the third ring, he picked up.

"Hello, Gordon here." He said. Hermione felt like crying. _Again._

"Hi Gordon. I'm sorry to interrupt your work, but I'm feeling really sick today. Could you get someone to cover my shift, please?" She asked softly, not having to strain her voice to sound sick.

"Of course! I hope you get well soon. I don't think I've ever seen you so sick you wouldn't work! Don't worry, I'll have Sirina come in. She's wanted to try being a server for a while now anyways. Do you think you'll need more than one day?" He asked, concerned for her immediately. A small smile graced Hermione's face for a moment. Working and doing school all the time was really hard, but she had a wonderful boss who actually cared about his employees.

"I...hope not. You might want to have someone on call, just in case." Hermione replied, worriedly. Gordon laughed.

"Honey, you've worked every single day since you started here. It's a restaurant, not a hospital. If you don't show up, we'll call someone in. You make it sound like it's life-threatening. Get some rest and come back when you feel better." He ordered, before hanging up. Leaning against the convenient wall of a building behind her, Hermione tried to plan out her next move in her head.

The first step would have to be to clean up. Briskly trotting back to her flat, Hermione took out some of her nicer clothes, all that remained of her clothing from before college. Drawing her wand, she hesitated for a moment. Closing her eyes, Hermione assessed how much energy she had in her body.

_"Best not to chance it. If I want to make it to Spinners End in one piece, that is. I still might not...that hex earlier today took a lot out of me."_ She thought grimly. Grabbing the clothing, Hermione walked quickly to the campus gym. Once inside the girl's locker room, Hermione went to one of the girls at the counter.

"Hey Laurie. Sorry to bother you, but...I've run out of laundry money for the month and I've got a special date tonight....Can I toss this in with some of the school swim suits and teeshirts that need washing? I'll take care of putting the load in and switching it." Hermione asked, knowing Laurie wouldn't refuse Hermione if it was for a 'special date'. Laurie wasn't her friend, but they had an understanding.

As long as she didn't abuse the privilege, Hermione was allowed to do the girl's laundry for the gym and Laurie would look the other way when Hermione put some of her own clothes in too. While the clothes washed, Hermione checked out a towel on her student ID card and went into the showers. With the hot water spraying down on her, Hermione felt almost human.

Quickly she scrubbed away the months worth of grime. Squeezing some soap out of the dispenser on the side, she quickly lathered it into her hair. It was only hand soap, but it would help clean and that's all Hermione cared about. She took her time in the shower, since the washer took about thirty minutes for each load.

When she heard the buzzer go off in the other room, Hermione trotted across the tile floor to the laundry room. Slipping inside in nothing but her towel, she switched the load into the dryer. Spying a small comb that had been dropped on the floor, Hermione thanked whatever powers were looking out for her, and prayed that there wasn't lice or something equally disgusting on the comb. She went back into the shower room and stood beneath a hand dryer that had been mounted high enough for someone to stand under it.

While the hot air cascaded over her head, she combed out her long hair. Hermione had always kept her hair long, but it used to go only to her shoulders. Now it hung down to mid-back, because Hermione couldn't cut it herself and couldn't pay for a hair cut. Long, dull, syrup colored strands appeared as Hermione worked her way around her head. Her hair had calmed down a lot since her Hogwarts days. In fact it'd calmed down a lot since she'd last seen her friends from Hogwarts and the Order. Idly she wondered what they'd think of her now. Having finished her hair and still having a good ten or fifteen minutes until the dryer was done, she walked over to a mirror in one of the bathrooms and looked at herself.

A short, skeletal-like girl with long, dull hair stared back at her from weary dark eyes. Huge dark shadows under her eyes and cheek bones reinforced the skeletal look. The dirt that had collected on her skin had lent her its color before. Now her skin was unnaturally pale and so dry she thought it might start flaking off at any moment. Her lip was still bleeding. Wiping it with the tips of her fingers, she stared at the blood, almost uncomprehending...when had that gotten there? Had she ever bitten through her lip before?

"Bzzzzzzz!" Called the dryer's buzzer. Back in the laundry room once more, Hermione slipped into the still-warm black skirt and the soft polyester top. Then she grabbed all the suits and tee-shirts from the dryer and put them in the 'clean' laundry basket. She also slipped back into her flat black shoes. Grabbing her keys and the last couple euro's from her pants pockets, she stuffed the clothing behind the washer where no one would find it.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione looked at her watch again. It was six thirty. She turned where she was and concentrated as hard as she could on Spinners End. Hermione felt some of the last dregs of her energy being pulled from her, but the leave had been smooth. Hopefully the arrival would be, too.

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Yay first chapter! This one's been sitting on the shelf for awhile, because I couldn't decide where I wanted to go with it, and because finals stink! So I hope you enjoyed it, because it's my plot bunny right now. So leave a review if you liked it, or send me a review if you didn't because as we know, stories live on review!

Wingz


	2. Collapse

Ch. 2 - Collapse

A loud bang exploded in a quiet, run-down part of muggle England, in Manchester. To be specific, the bang exploded between Back Piccadilly street and Piccadilly park. Several startled Muggle neighbors rushed from their houses, or peered out windows At the house closes to Piccadilly Park. To their stunned amazement, Spinners End seemed to have finally collapsed, and a young girl seemed to be trapped in the doorway underneath the rubble.

Immediately cellphones were whipped out and people started dialing emergency numbers. Children were hurried back inside, away from a possibly grizzly scene while men went and started to investigate the rubble to see if it could be shifted.

One man, however, silently went back into his home and wrote a letter on an old piece of parchment. Rolling the parchment up and sealing it with a drop of hot wax, he tied the letter to an owl and tossed the owl out the window.

It was about half an hour later when Wizards and Witches from 's and the Ministry arrived. Ironically it was shortly after the police and firemen from the Muggle world. In short order, the Muggles all had their memories of the events erased, the rubble was vanished, and Hermione Jane Granger was magically whisked away to the somewhat safer confines of the Wizarding world.

Far away from Spinners End, near a town called Yarrow which was next to the river it was named for, Severus Snape felt the old wards around Spinners End not only broken, but shattered. He gripped onto the banister on his stairs in his current home, Rooks Edge, as the magical backlash hit him. Once the backlash was over, Severus straightened himself out and apparated to where his old home stood. Or so he thought. Until he popped up where his house's back porch should have been...and found nothing remaining. Going to his next door, he knocked. The little old lady with far to many cats answered the door, and the cat on her shoulder looked suspiciously at him. The lady herself did not look at him, although Severus hadn't expected her too, as she was blind.

"Hello, Mrs. Sinfrady. I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you could tell me what happened to the house next door?" Severus asked politely.

"No bother. Last I heard the Cheffields moved. It's still up for sale, I think." The little old lady replied politely in a wavering voice.

"No, the other house. On the lot just next to yours. Other side, you know?" Severus replied warily. She only used her frail voice when she wanted to be tricky.

"Oh, there's no house there. Never has been. An interesting looking chap bought it about ten years back, but nothing ever did come of it. Children play on it, I suppose. Nothing else, really. You shouldn't have any trouble buying it, I suspect." The woman offered. Severus sighed. So, whoever did the job was certainly thorough.

"Thank you, Madame. I'm afraid I must be on my way." He offered apologetically. The little old woman shut the door in his face, without waiting for him to leave. Grumbling to himself under his breath and feeling rather like he needed to wash out the taste of politeness from his mouth, Severus turned and apparated to the ministry. They would certainly have a record of a magical attack against a registered Wizarding house. At least, he hoped so. If the ministry had managed to tame it's chaos into something actually representing an office that ruled an entire hidden population of the country. Maybe. And Hagrid was a dwarf.

As it turned out, the Ministry's lack of a filing system was not a problem. Severus didn't need to go past the apparition point to find anything out. He had just turned around from apparating so that he could leave the apparition point, when Potter and Potter neé Weasely came down the hallway, talking in rather loud, upset voices.

"Are you certain it's Hermione in St. Mungo's and not someone who happens to look like her? I mean...she's so good at everything, and I can't see her making any enemies. She doesn't have the time for it! She barely even has time to talk to her boyfriend, from what I gathered from Evards." The boy wonder commented rather doubtfully.

"Yes, I'm certain Harry! Lexa, my friend from school who became a healer? She flooed into my office not ten minutes ago to tell me that Hermione Granger was found under a collapsed house! And she hasn't regained consciousness yet! Said she looked like a fate worse than death had caught up to 'Mione. As I told you just a few minutes ago. And what would Evards, one of your Employees, know about how Hermione spends her time? He lives in Essex, and Hermione most certainly does not. " the female Potter replied reproachfully. By this point, the two had reached the apparition point. So deep were they in their discussion, though, that they didn't even notice Snape was in the room. They passed right by him and went to another of the apparition points.

"Well...I was worried. Hermione hasn't written in over two years. It's not like her. Usually she sends a twenty page novel about all the thrilling research and learning she's doing. So...I asked Evards to look into it. As a favor, like..." Harry Potter replied as the two turned and 'popped' out of the ministry.

Severus, deep in thought over what they had said, turned back around and apparated to St. Mungo's. If what Mrs. Potter said could be believed, he'd found the person who broke his wards. He just hopped she was in one piece so he could throttle her for being so stupid. Merlin knew he already owed the silly chit one life debt because she happened to carry a healing kit with her everywhere during the war. He didn't intend to owe her a second one because she'd tried to come and visit him and splinched herself trying to get past his wards.

A large din filled the sterile waiting room when our Wizard popped into St. Mungo's. Up at the front desk the two Potters were arguing with one of the nurses. The nurse, a stout woman who appeared to be middle aged, stood in front of a cowering younger female nurse.

"I don't care if you are Harry Bloody Potter. You can't get in unless you're family or the patient says you can come in. And as you are neither family nor on a pre-existing list of people allowed to see our patient should she be unconscious, you're not allowed in." the nurse said flatly. Just as Harry Potter opened his mouth to argue, Severus reached the desk.

"And just who _is_ on that list, seeing as how her only family was killed in the war?! Does she even _have _a list? She's muggleborn, you know, so she mightn't know that she needed to fill one out. " Ginny Potter demanded.

"Yes, Ms. Granger has a list. It was a requirement of her university to fill out such a list with St. Mungo's and and notification form so that any hospital she got put in by accident in the Muggle world would notify us so that we could have her transferred. Let's see, there's an Albus Dumbledore...but it appears that he died in the war...so I suppose that one could be crossed off. ..." The witch began, consulting a clip board on the desk in front of her.

"There's also a Mr. Severus Snape, a Todd Semalin, a Gordon Smith, and a Tyler Granger. All except the first one appear to be alive. As Mr. Snape is put second on the list, he is the one we will contact." the nurse replied. Both potters started to argue when Severus spoke.

"There's no need, I am Severus Snape." he announced in his quiet and silky voice. The same one he used to use to scare his students. Both Potters jumped and whirled around like they'd been caught stealing cookies from the jar, and the younger nurse began to hyperventilate. The girl always had been extra nervous around him as a student, it hardly surprised him that she had yet to improve.

"How did you know Hermione was injured?" the male Potter demanded. Ginny said nothing, but watched him suspiciously.

"You passed me on your way out of the ministry. _Someone_ attempted to apparate into my house, directly through the wards. You tipped me off as to who it was. I can't imagine what the chit was thinking, but I'm sure we will find out soon enough. Nurse, take me to Granger." Snape growled, as he glowered at those in front of him. The middle-aged nurse gave him a look full of reproach, but turned and began walking towards an oak set of double doors. Severus followed her through them. To his amusement, both Potters were stopped from following through the doors when they were magically repelled and the doors snapped shut in their faces.


	3. Dealing

Note to readers: sorry about this, but on the second chapter, it should read: in a forest near a town called Yarrow. F.Y.I., I made up the town (so far as I know), but the river and the location I mentioned are real. I found them on Google Satilite. The area I chose is where a road called "Shilling Pot" forms and upward ark and then has an off-branch that lead to two different roads that go up towards the river. Send me a review if you want me to send you an email pic of the map of the area, or look it up on google maps with Shilling pot, yarrow.

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_Ch 3 - Dealing_

Cool air circulated through the hallways, and the entire floor of St. Mungo's that they were on smelled faintly of lemons and cinnamon. Severus Snape fully expected Miss Granger to pop up out of her bed the instant he walked in the door and start spouting off questions. The only time he'd ever seen the girl calm and silent was in battle.

When he entered her room, however, this was not the case. The first thing to hit him was the over whelming smell of cinnamon. He almost suspected them of burning a bonfire of the stuff in the room. Then Snape's breath hissed between his teeth when he caught sight of the actual girl. Surely the emaciated skeleton lying before him could not be Miss Granger? Not only was her skin so pale that she made even him look tan, but her skin clung to her bones as though there was nothing in between her bones and skin. All her muscle and fat seemed to have been absorbed by her body already. She was black and blue all over, although that Severus rather thought to be the fault of his house.

"Healer, what has happened to her?! Have the auror's been alerted?" He demanded. Turning in surprise with wand drawn, the healer who had until then stood beside the bed sighed when she saw the nurse was with Severus.

"Not yet. As the girl has yet to regain consciousness, we have not been able to even determine if an auror investigation is necessary." Replied the woman as she straightened.

"What do you mean, necessary? Obviously this girl has been starved, and possibly tortured." he sneered at the obviously incompetent woman.

"Starved, yes. But there is no indication that any torture has gone on, or even that anyone else has starved her." The healer growled back, glaring at the rude man who had the gall to march into her patients room and tell her how to heal.

"Please, she is not known as the brightest witch of her age because she routinely starves herself." Snape growled. The healer attempted to stare down Severus, but he hadn't spent half his life learning to terrify people to lose to some healer. It was while they were engaged in their stare-down that a small cough came from the direction of the bed.

Without a word, the healer turned from him as though to say he wasn't worth her attention and hurried to her patient's side. When Severus stopped glaring at the healer and turned his eyes to the bed, he found the girl's eyes not only open, but resting on him curiously.

"Miss Granger." Snape greeted her gruffly. A dismal attempt at a smile lifted the corners of her lips briefly, and then faded. Snape started to open his mouth, but never got the chance to actually say anything.

"Where does it hurt? Nothing seems to have been splinched. On a level from zero to ten, how much do you hurt? Can you tell me your name, age, and address? Has anyone been starving you?" demanded the healer. Hermione opened her mouth to answer, only to be cut off by the healers next round of questions.

"Any enemies who might want to torture you or seek revenge? Have you been starving yourself? What made you try to collapse a house on top of yourself? Don't you know better than to try to apperate through anti-apparition wards?" When the healer continued her questions, Hermione rolled her eyes and ignored the woman as best she could, while having potions shoved down her throat and the woman's arms waving around like a mini-tornado.

It seemed that the woman vexed Miss Granger, for which Severus was grateful. The woman made his teeth sit on edge and irritated his very last nerve. When the healer finished pouring potions down Miss Granger's throat, she bustled out of the room.

"Hello Professor Snape." The chit said, and Severus was relieved that her voice was not hoarse like she'd been screaming for extended periods of time. In fact, it seemed rather exhausted and somewhat flat. He started in surprise. Normally the girl sounded perky and over-eager, much like a young puppy or one of those annoyingly overly-cheerful greeting cards.

"Miss Granger. Your friends are outside waiting for you. They were...rather perturbed that they were not on the list to see you, should you end up unconscious in the hospital." He commented, as though her being in the hospital was as in consequential to him as what Trelawny's latest prediction was.

"Yes, well. Quite truthfully they're the last people I'd want here when I'm unconscious. They're both wonderful friends, of course, but I could never trust them to handle my affairs the way I want them handled. They'd try to do what they thought was best for me, of course...but it's not always the same thing." Miss Granger sighed, eyelids lowering to the halfway position.

"I see. Not only do you shatter my wards, which may I add took many years of building and a great amount of power to establish, but you also saw fit to collapse my house and land yourself in the hospital as well. Then you make me responsible for ...handling your affairs, should you be unconscious in the hospital. What, exactly, is going on Miss Granger?"

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Staring down at the yellow bedspread, Hermione's fingers twined themselves together. This was it. Either he'd accept her terms, or he'd laugh in her face and leave. She rather expected the latter.

"I'm sorry about your house...and the wards. I didn't mean to apperate directly into the house...but I passed out somewhere between my place and your front entrance. I'm very grateful you weren't hurt. As to the affairs, you do owe me." She explained quietly, looking up to stare defiantly into his dark eyes at the end. One of the snarky man's eyebrows raised silently and he stared back emotionlessly.

"I was going to send an owl, but I couldn't afford the cost." She admitted, and she saw his face darken.

"So you intend to ask me for money, to compensate you for saving my life." He sneered. Hermione stared at him, mouth gaping like a fish for a few moments.

"No!" She retorted, less than intelligently. When his eyebrow raised again, she wanted to kick herself.

"Then what, pray tell Miss Granger, was it that you wished to see me about?" his face was carefully blank, and Hermione felt a sinking sensation in her chest. As she had known, nothing would come of her request.

"I was rather hoping you might let me stay in your home. Rent, school supplies, food, clothing...I can't cover all of it, and I thought that you might allow me to sleep in a spare bedroom or back hall or something. I don't have much so it's not like I'd take up a lot of room! And I'm very quiet! You'd hardly even know I was there! Of course...that was before I collapsed it..." Hermione wanted to slap her hands over her mouth to stop the word vomit, but finally she managed to get herself together and shut up. Looking like he was swallowing a lemon, Snape seemed to ponder her request for a moment.

"Miss Granger, even you must realize that the house you destroyed was only used for my Death Eater persona. I now live in a very different house. As to your request, you only wish to stay in my house? Not to provide food, or clothing, or..._conversation_." He demanded in curt, clipped tones. Hermione hastily nodded.

"Only shelter, nothing else. You don't even have to see me, if you don't want to. " She promised, leaning forward as much as she could. It was impossible that he should agree, even with the life debt handing over his head. Yet he seemed to be resigning himself to the idea, shoulders un-tensing slightly and face relaxing into his usual dismissive look.

"Very well. Once you have healed enough to be released, I will escort you to my home. Luckily for you I have enough room that we will not have to run into each other." He agreed, and though he wasn't necessarily being pleasant, neither was he insulting her or her inability to support herself.

"Thank you. It should only take an hour or two." Snape snorted.

"Indeed? How were you planning on doing that? Perhaps you planned to blink three times and think some mantra and be instantly healed? You've obviously been starved, which I assume is a direct result of your lack of funds. It appears that your muscles and fat layers have decreased to an unhealthy level. You'll be lucky if they let you on fluids. I imagine, however, that you will be stuck with having nutrients apparated into you bloodstream. It's a wonder you haven't disintegrated." Sneered the man. Hermione laughed.

"A little malnutrition won't kill me. St. Mungo's won't keep me long because I can't cover the bills for even this little trip. By ministry law they'll have to cover this short stay, but they won't keep me here any longer than forced to. Since I'm obviously not in immediate danger, they'll release me." she sighed.

"For the smartest witch of her age, you seem curiously lacking in intelligence. Malnutrition can indeed kill you, and it won't be pretty. Not only will it kill you, but it drastically increases the likelihood and severity of diseases and other illness. You may lose your hair, which in a small amount may be a good thing, losing it on the scale that malnutrition causes will neither be pleasing nor pleasant. Dermatitis is not pretty or appealing either, and is also caused by malnutrition. These are only a few of thepleasant things in store for you if you don't receive treatment, Miss Granger. So now you tell me, do you really think you'll be out of here in an hour? If you desire to continue living, I would advise against a hasty departure." his black eyes gleamed dangerously, and Hermione was rather surprised that he seemed to care. Until she realized that saving her life could very well clear him of his life debt and he probably just didn't want her to die before he could do anything about the blasted debt.

"I don't want to hear that from a man who spent thirty years of his life in a constant state of malnutrition. Did you think no one noticed or no one cared?" She retorted archly. One can only take so much, after all, and Hermione had already had a trying day.

"That is neither here nor there, Miss Granger. My own health is not the issue. If, however, you want to bring up the matter, I wore a glamor for the duration of my work at Hogwarts and as a spy. Which, I notice, didn't stop you from sending the house elves after me like clock work to make sure I was eating whether I was at meals or not. It seems your desire to liberate the house elves did not extend to allowing them the freedom to choose whether or not they wanted to have anything to do with the professors." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She retorted primly. He snorted and was about to retort with a scathing come back when the door opened back up.

"Miss Granger, you have two people outside requesting to see you. Also, the Healer said to let you know that you can go as soon as you're ready." the younger nurse from the front entrance said, gulping when she caught sight of Snape. Stalking forward, Snape caught the door as the nurse attempted to beat a hasty retreat.

"I want a word with that healer, and a more competent healer, if you please. Now. You may tell them Master Severus Snape is waiting." He growled in a low and menacing tone. The assistant squeaked out a reply and dashed down the hallway at a run.

"What was that for?!" Hermione demanded.

"As I said, you're not leaving this hospital until you are fully healed." The infuriating man replied, as he settled in a chair by the bed.

"And I told you, I can't pay for that! I'll work something out, but Mungo's won't..!" Hermione started to retort.

"It will be taken care of. After all, you did put me in charge of your "affairs" while you are in the hospital. If you don't like my decisions, that's too bad. You might want to think of having my name removed from the list for next time." By this point Hermione was seeing red. Again she was cut off before she got to express herself, though, as the door opened and two Healers stepped into the room quickly. Both bowed low to Snape, and payed no attention whatsoever to Her. A sinking feeling in her gut told Hermione that this was an argument she wasn't going to win.

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A/N : Hello! How'd that go? I'm not quite sure how I feel about this chapter yet. I may play around with it some more. Tell me what you thought about it, please! Were there parts you think could have been better?

Wings


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